The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1887-12-23

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out Of him.
Then Ayesha spoke. "Forgivc mo, my
guest" she said, softly, addressing him,
iii have shocked thee with my Justice"
"Forgive thee, thou lend," roared poor
Leo, wringing his hands in his rage and
griet-"Forgive thee, thou murdcressl BY
Heaven, I will kill thee il l cant"
Nay, nay" she answered, in the same
soft voice, "thou dost not understandable
time has come for thee to learn. Thou art
my love, my Kallikrates-my beautiful.
my strongl For two thousand years, Kali
likrates, have I waited for thee, and now
at length thou hast come back to ms; and
as for this woman" pointing So che corpse,
sshe stood between Y5 and thec, and there
tore I have removed her, Kallikrates."
ut is an accursed lie!" screamed Leo.
"My name is not Kallikrates! I am Leo
Vincey; my ancestor was Kallikrates-at
least I believe he was."
"Ah, thou sayest it; thine ancestor was
K~alltkratcs, and thou, even thou, art Kali
likratcs come back-and minc own dear
lordy
az am not Kallikrates, and as for being
thy lord, or having anything to do with
thee, I had rather be tile lord of a 1end
from hell, for she would be better than
thou"
"Sayest thou so-saycst thou SO. Kalli-
krates! Nay, but thou hast not seen mo
for SO many years that no memory re-
mains. Yet am I very fair, Kallikrates!"
81 hate Nce, murderess, and 1 do not
wish to see thee. What Ikit to mo how
fair thou art? Ihate thee, r.l..ay."
"Yct within a very little space shalt thou
nnnon IN INV Enoo mud cyx,co,s fIot 4l,o,, xJo,%
bve me-" answered Ayesha, with q sweet,
knocking laugh. "Come, there is no time
Hike the present time; here, before this
dead girl who loved thee, let us put It to
the proof.
Look now on me, K%allikrates!n and
with q sudden motion she shook her gauzy
covering from her, and stood forth in her
low kirtle and her snaSy zone, in her glor.
ious. radiant beauty and her imperial
grace, rising from her wrappings, as it
We're, like Venus from the wave, or Gale
tea from her marble, or q beautiful spirit
from the tomb. She stood forth, and fixed
her deep and glowing eyes upon his own,
and / saw his clinched fists unclasp, md
his set and quivering features relax be-
meath her gaze. 1 saw his wonder and as
tonishment grow into admiration, and
then into fascination; and the more he
struggled the more l saw the power of her
dread beauty fasten on him and take pos
session of his senses, drugging them, and
drawing the heart out of him. Did I not
know the process? Had not I, who was
twice hfs age, gone through it myself?
Was I not going through it afresh even
then, though her sweet and passionate
gaze was not for me? Yes, alas, l was.
Alas, that I should have to confess that ut
that very moment l was rent by mad and
furious Jealousy. / could have flown at His
throat, shame upon me! That woman had
c~onfoundcd and almost destroyed my moral
sense, rs sllc was bound to confound all
who looked upon her superhuman lowell.
ness. But, somehow, 1 do not know how,
lGot the better of myself, and once moro
turned to see the climax of the tragedy.
"Oh!" gaspcd Leo; s'art thou a woman?"
IA woman in trutl-in very trutil-and
thine own spouse, Kallikrates!" she an
swered, stretching out her rounded ivory
arms toward him, and smiling, all, so
sweetly.
He looked and looked, and slowly I per
ceived that he was drawing nearer to her.
Suddenly his eye fell upon the corpse of
poor Ustane, and he shuddcred and stopped.
"How can II" he said, hoarsely. "Thou
art a murderess. She loved me-"
Observe, he was already forgetting that
he had loved her.
'.lt Is naugnt;;" she murn,urcd, and her
voice sounded sweet as the night wind
passing through the trees. sit is nanght
at all. Il ] have sinned, let my beauty an
swer for my sin. Il I have sinned, it is for
the love Of thee; let my sin, therefore, be
put away and forgotten;'' and once more
she stretched out her arms and whispered,
"Come," and then In another few seconds
twas over. ] saw him STRUGGLED COW
him even turn to Fly; but her eyes drew
him stronger than iron bonds, and the
magic Of her beauty and concentrated will
and passion entered into him and ovcrpow.
cred him-ay, even therein the presence
Of the body Of the woman who had lovad
him well enough to die forhim. 1t sounds
horrible and wicked enough, buthe canno,
be blamed too much, and be sure his sin
will find him out. The temptress who
drew him into evil was more than human,
and her beauty was greater than the love.
Illness of the daughters of men.
Hooked up again, and now her perfect
form lay in his arms, and her lips were
pressed against his own; and thus, with
the corpse Of his dead love for an altar, did
Leo vincey plight his troth to her red.
handed urdercss-plighted It forever and
aday. For those who sell themselves into
like dominion, paying down tho price o.
their own honor, and throwing their SOU
into the balance to sink the scale to tho
levelof their lusts. can hope for no deliy